'Broken' [piano piece]

[truvelocity]

I finally finished my mural to this piece, yesterday.  Its beautiful.

[TheraminTrees]

@truvelocity Thanks. I do like a good mural — much more engaging to have something personal/individual, rather than plain old block colour.

[aquabat2206]

This is amazing. Do you write music often? I would love to listen to more if you have it!

[unicyclepeon]

Neat song / video.

[RhetoricalBullshit]

Very cool, I like it

[TheEpicion]

Very creative and beautiful. I loved the theme used of a skipping track, it added a lovely playfulness to each note.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks TheEpicion. This is quite a personal piece for me — well, most of last year's music was. It was like a musical diary.

[d00m0racl3]

awesome work bro, i just got turned onto ur channel by a very enthusiatic & dedicated person i am now proud to consider a friend. the dreaded "vinyl backskip" was enough to put me reminiscing of my 80's club dj days, aaaah the memories most gr8 & some not so, (but hey its THE EXPERIENCE that counts right?, X·P ) will be looking forward to your vids (subbed) keep up the gr8 work, =D

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks d00m0racl3. I remember that stomach lurch when a vinyl skipped — unlike a CD which often just needs a wipe, that was usually it: the disc was gone. Although, I often thought some of the skips did produce interesting results.

[alex95187]

what type of equipment and programs do you use? because the piano sounds extremely clear and all my recordings sound horrible! thanks! awesome piece btw!

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Alex. I use a Mac studio called Logic, with a M-Audio keystation 49e midi-keyboard.

[M1ST3RHYDE]

Pretty.

[sephirotXD]

I can express how great this song is...even in my mother lenguage cant....

Brilliant.

If you are Qualiasoup's brother, your parents must be the most succesfull humans ever

:O

[TheraminTrees]

You're very kind, thank you sephirotXD

[AmazedAtheist]

This video is going to be the first Favourite of my new channel...

I'm SephirotXD by the way ^^

[StaulkHolm]

beautiful and masterful piano work. the piece really conveys emotion and thought.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks StaulkHolm ;8)

[katzenjens]

This piece had the same effect on me like cutting onions... *sniff* Thank You! 5*

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Katzenjens ;8)

[Phecee]

This is so beautiful.

[TheraminTrees]

Thank you Phecee ;8)

[tinySpectacle]

Again, I am so very impressed. The record scratching is a really nice effect, too. Earlier today I played this video for my daughter who is six (she is working on "when the saints go marching on" on the piano.) She was very impressed you wrote this all by yourself and is now working on a piano song of her own she is calling "Zombies." So I'll let you take credit for that! :)

[TheraminTrees]

Hey thank you Tiny! I was in two minds as to whether I should post this — oddly, it's probably my most personal video. But felt right — and I've got to say, it was fantastic to hear that your daughter is composing her own piano piece! I look forward to catching up and hearing how the Zombies project went! ;8)

[xyzllii]

I love impros...at least half of my songs/poems are thus....so free and easy...just as it...nice...

[TheraminTrees]

Mm — I've got much more into improvising these past few months, particularly through working with some other musicians on here. Used to plan/structure/rehearse everything for days/weeks, delete and re-do endlessly to get an exact result. There's some virtue in that for some pieces, but the wandering-into-the-unknown of improv-based work is a buzz.

[MastaSlur777]

This is fantastic. Very good job. How did this take you to make?? Cuz you said its an improvisation.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks MastaSlur. The whole thing took about half an hour or so — I built up a few layers of piano, and then played around with the needle-catch effect in the end mix-down.

[electronictrash]

Really really really beautiful.

[TheraminTrees]

Thank you electronictrash ;8)

[W1ldSm1le]

Beautiful, youre amazingly talented. Wish I would get around to learning an instrument....

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks W1ldSm1le — glad you enjoyed the piece. ;8)

[verodefacto]

that was pretty goddamn good!

i'd like to try that on my classical guitar...i hardly play it anymore ..but i like a challange every now and than!

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks. And yes — good to be challenged/stretched isn't it. Keeps us vital.

[Sh0nin]

Nice tune, real easy. Odd how the dissonance brings it all together, but I can`t help but love it.

[fehquig]

I like the way you took the sound of the needle skipping and used it as a metronome...

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Fehquig — it was a really interesting experience playing against that.

[DavidlyMe]

Great piece, but I especially love the part from 1:15 to 1:22.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Davidly. Nice to see you on here. I hope you're doing OK ;8)

[DefenderOfReason]

Link, you're a jack of all trades, and a master of most!

[TheraminTrees]

Hey Linny! You're very kind — thank you. It's lovely when friends like what you do. ;8)

[bCurious2]

I keep returning here too, this really is breath taking!

[TheraminTrees]

Ah thanks BC2! ;8) I felt quite cautious initially about putting this one up — it's *intensely* personal. But it felt right, and so I went with my gut feeling. I've told a2z the artistic pressure you're under in the next two weeks. We're so rooting for you! And — really — don't worry about us! We'll just be pleased when you're back to hear about it all, and see your new work! ;8) xxx

[Lihiro]

Great piece. Really pleasant to listen to again and again.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Lihiro ;8)

[QualiaSoup]

I can't tell you how many times I've had this tune in my head over the last few days! It's so infectiously uplifting. Firmly up there now with 'Night Walk' as my all-time favourite.

A real masterpiece. ;^>

[TheraminTrees]

I'm so chuffed you liked it Doug. I'll put it on that CD for you if you like ;8) x

[alinalexanderson]

Nice to see that there are people who still spin records!!! Cool track you made, relaxing and smooth!!! You should do more ;)...

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks alinalexanderson. Mm I do miss vinyl — happy days .... ;8)

[DeemotheAthiest]

i love it

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Deemo ;8)

[CriticalAtheist]

Thank you sir, for this.

[TheraminTrees]

You're very welcome — thank YOU! ;8)

[bCurious2]

Touching, inspiring, delicate, gracious, effortlessly oozing class and quality...another absolute favorite, beautiful video too! Had to watch/ listen to this at least 5 times in a row..are you sure your not an alien from the planet Talent?xxx

[TheraminTrees]

Hey thanks BC2! ;8) I was watching a TV show and it had this record catching in its groove — something in that really resonated and I had to set to work. I'm so glad I didn't chuck out my old turntable now. Hope you're doing fabulously! xxx

[spookmook]

Bravo Mister Trees Bravo

[TheraminTrees]

Cheers spookmook! ;8)

[lifeisgummo]

Very nice. I like the lo-fi sound & the progression is music to my ears...well, it literally is. Haha.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks lifeisgummo. I like your reference to lo-fi reference — it's an area of music I'm getting a lot out of just now.

[beachbumde]

Very lovely, Theramin!! You are a very talented person.

[TheraminTrees]

Hey my friend, thanks — I'm glad you enjoyed it. I get a lot of messages telling me I should be doing videos on this and that single issue. But I want to continue the way I started out: just doing what I feel moved to do. Hope all's well with you ;8)

[horny4bears]

thank ya TT, minds been kinda awash in thoughts, and I enjoy'd the break, listening to your piece.

Take Care

JC

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks horny4bears. I've been in a fog of thought lately myself — doing this piece, and expressing some of that, has helped to heal a little of it. Best wishes. ;8)

[featherdude]

nice! I liked that. Thanks .

[TheraminTrees]

Hey thanks featherdude ;8)

[nbwulf]

Awesome work my friend... loved it. (=

Cheers... J.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks J — and a real vicarious buzz to see what a great time you had travelling in your recent video ;8)

[KemaTheAtheist]

Great stuff as usual Theramin. Did you get some inspiration from Final Fantasy VII from the part from around 0:52 - 1:10? It sounds a lot like the glacier area, just a little faster: watch?v=tQITL6ZhCfM

Did anyone else notice that? Or maybe I'm crazy...

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Kema. I watched the video you referenced and have to say personally I didn't spot the connection you felt — but anyway nope, no inspiration there: I've seen the film 'Final Fantasy', but I don't do computer games. In the composition process, I don't take inspiration from other people's work — I'm inspired by things like the timbre of the instrument I'm using and the emotion in a particular chord, so I kinda compose by putting together a sequence of emotions. ;8)

[KemaTheAtheist]

I must be crazy then... at least I'm still sane enough to know it.

[tiznogod]

The simple complexity of music in raw form is what I have learned and have learned to respect. Your composition and execution are brilliant. I can only say thank you, maestro. Thank you.

[TheraminTrees]

Thank you tisnogod — that's *very* kind. And I relate a lot to what you say about raw form: since working with two great friends on here, bCurious2 and a2zdiy, I've been working a lot more in a raw/experimental area — after years of taking phenomenal pains over production/precision — and really getting a lot out of it. ;8)

[PerthPete1]

Massively impressive L.

Beautifully evocative piano, really well played, great synchronisation with "cracked" record.

[TheraminTrees]

Thank you Peter. It's pretty easy to sync up when you sample a sound like that record skip — just chopping it to the length you want and looping it. I was going to fade the crackle down to bring the piano up — it's really loud relative to the piano — but it's funny how it fades out psychologically. I guess that's what used to happen when we all listened to vinyls before digital! ;8)

[LeSaMilano]

wow! I loved this. I was mesmerized and somewhat jealous that you were able to get the record scratch synched up perfectly - or maybe I'm jealous of your sound equipment or..well....your talent? haha

honoured you attached this to my video. Thank you :)

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Lesley ;8) I've been doing a fair bit of music of late, which I guess is all personal on a level. But your *beautiful* 'katylies' video really had an impact and encouraged me to go for it and do something more directly personal and processing. So thank YOU ;8)

[Luke12000]

That was awesome!! I love how it shifted between parts

[TheraminTrees]

Hey Luke, my fellow ivory-tinkler! Thanks ;8)

[paulmercy]

There's something incredibly soothing about anything analogue. Watching a CD pop in & out of a slot just wouldn't do it, y' know? ;-)

Seriously though, this is the kind of creativity that I hoped to find (and which is rather hard to find) when I signed up on YouTube. You are a most groovy soul.

[TheraminTrees]

You know, I feel the same — about analogue. Funny isn't it. And thinking about it, while I treasure the songs I've got on CD, I've never valued the product itself — I did when I got vinyl. Thanks for your kind comment paulmercy ;8)

[Textra1]

Beautiful.

[DmKrispin]

Enchanting.

Thank-you.

[momoftwo99]

I love this. You are just so talented

[TheraminTrees]

Hey momoftwo — always lovely to see your name. Thanks and hope all's well with you ;8)

[a2zdiy]

Wow, what a treat!

Doug is indeed lucky to have such a great brother, though from what I can tell he is entirely deserving.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks a2z ;8) I've just heard your news about the synthetic reed for your sax — hitting that top note, you sound buzzed! And I'm sure we will be too when we hear the results! ;8)

[a2zdiy]

*TheraminTrees* "hitting that top note, you sound buzzed!"

...oh, not just hitting it... *nailing* it with a pneumatic nail-gun of sonic impact... AND *trilling* off it... it's crazy!

Gotta help Lizzy with her math homework, then back to the Sax I go...

Cheers!

[TheHuggableSkeptic]

How do you keep making great videos like this?

[zebruh]

Wow. you are really amazing.

[Perapk]

loving the beat

[BaileysBeads]

Inspired!

[QualiaSoup]

Your music is medicine for the soul. ;^>

Thanks so much for dedicating this beautiful piece to me. xx

[TheraminTrees]

Doug, you are an inspiration. As I go on in life I only become more aware of how lucky I am to have such an amazing brother. xx

[QualiaSoup]

I feel exactly the same about you, Link. ;^> x

[801alias]

you're actually brothers? i had no idea

[musmusik]

Great piece.  Congratulations!

[mconn2112]

Beautiful my friend, beautiful. :-)

[TheraminTrees]

You're very kind sir. Thank you ;8)

[TheraminTrees]

I've got to say, I always picture headphones when I see your name now! I can think why .... ;8)

[Bobbiethejean]

This is rather brilliant. I wish I could play like you. I haven't even looked at my piano in over a year. This video made me want to though. : )

[TheraminTrees]

Hey Bobbiethejean ;8) You have a piano? Beautiful! I do love the sound — I think that and the cello are my all-time favourite instruments. Me and bCurious have a joke going that you'd need 37 fingers to play our stuff — we over-record parts, like extra octaves.

[thePuzzledDragon]

Love it!

[vicepresidentfru1tly]

I absolutely adore this. Wonderful stuff! 5 stars and favourited.

[TheraminTrees]

Hey vicepresident ;8) Thanks.

[mccartyj1]

love the record static hiss crackle. very creative

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks mccartyj1. The crackle was the inspiration for the piece — just hearing it stuck in that same groove over and over.

[mccartyj1]

Is there a way I could get a copy of it?

[NathanWubs]

*lays back closing his eyes and just relaxes.* Thank you.

[TheraminTrees]

Thanks Nathan ;8)